A gang posing as police officers kidnapped an Indian businessman before stealing Dh1.9 million ($517,289) from his electronics store, a Dubai court heard.
Three Indian men allegedly entered the shop in Naif, claiming to be CID officers and asked the owner for his trade licence and the keys to the premises.
The owner, 48, said he and an employee were then escorted to a car parked outside by two of the men while the third remained in the store.
The car was driven by a fourth member of the gang, while four others waited outside the shop as the owner was taken away.
Dubai Criminal Court heard the two men were driven to Dubai's International City, where they were ordered to get out of the car.
After the group drove away, the owner said he called his business partner to ask him to check on the shop.
His partner found the store had been ransacked and Dh1.9m taken from a safe.
Police were alerted and managed to track down seven of the suspects from the number plate of the car they used.
An eighth remains at large.
“Around Dh70,000 of the stolen cash was recovered in Sharjah, where one of the defendants had it stashed,” said a policeman in evidence.
“Another Dh27,000 was found on one of the defendants at the time of his arrest.”
In court, the seven defendants denied charges of kidnap, robbery, and impersonating CID officers.
The case was adjourned until February 22.
